du and Etisalat will offer e-SIM capabilities for iPhones by end of October

One of the most exciting features announced for this year’s iPhones was their ability to finally support dual SIMs through a traditional nano SIM card tray and the newer embedded SIM (e-SIM) technology found in IoT devices and on Apple Watch series 3 in the UAE.

e-SIMs are essentially an electronic version of the SIM card and work much like their physical counterparts sans the manual hassle. All users will have to do is scan a QR code from the network provider and a phone line will be activated on their iPhone.

Apple is still working to bring e-SIM functionality to the masses via a software update later this year, although iPhone XS and XS Max users who are part of iOS 12.1 beta can take a crack at it contingent on carrier support.

In the UAE, both du and Etisalat confirmed at GITEX Tech Week that they will being e-SIM provision to the new iPhone XS lineup which includes iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and the upcoming iPhone XR. This is great news for those who have separate lines for business and personal use and travelers who want to save on roaming charges by popping in a local SIM.

Announcement for e-SIM support for the latest iPhones is expected by the end of this month from both telcos with support for the Apple Watch by du coming early next year- Etisalat already supports it.